Paring(s):
 Micheal/Ritchie/Austin

Summary:
 Searching. That's all he was doing, endless searching. But what was Micheal searching for? Well, whatever it may be... let's just hope that this isn't reality.

Warning(s):
Angst and slight fluff, it won't completely destroy your souls don't worry!

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It was... dark, very dark.

It felt very, eternal. Like it was endless.

It looked, like a library. Filled with stacks upon stacks of books on the shelves. Stairs leading up and up and up to the very high overhead ceiling above. Only, there was no peace and quiet tonight.

Only broken friendships, heartbreaks, and betrayal.

That's all Micheal could think about as he silently scanned the room.

Micheal's steps, they were loud and echoey as they filled the spacious area. The area that's filled with many, many hiding spots. He was searching for people, he knew there had to be someone here. 

Specifically, two people. Two boys. 

It was a mission, a somewhat meaningless task to his father to get rid of these boys. His father told him they were dragging him down, that he didn't need them. That they didn't deserve him. After all, Micheal did everything for them. Their homework, the rending gale's, everything... 

His father said they could work side by side, be together, instead of being with those low-lives. They could protect each other. After all, it was his Father's one regret he said of not having Micheal right alongside him. Just like Micheal's Mom would have wanted...

All he had to do, for this to happen, was to kill those two boys. And all would be fine.

Micheal felt like his body, wasn't his own. He wasn't in control. He couldn't take the reins, he's tried. All he could do, was watch. Like this was a movie. Watch as his own body smoothly, yet stiffly, moved around. Eyes searching, never once stopping. Similar to a robot.

The air in the room was cold, just like his powers, but it was also so tense and thick you wouldn't be able to even cut it through with a knife. It was like a horror movie, the victims hiding, while the killer searches.

Micheal's head suddenly perked up as he passed a chair, finally hearing something.

It was whispering. And it sounding, frantic.

He couldn't tell what was being said, but that didn't matter to his body it seemed as he continued to menacingly stalk around.

And then he abruptly stopped, right beside a very long dinner table. Micheal began to position himself.

And he waited...

And waited...

Until─

"Hi guys!" Micheal greeted, a dangerous and distant glint in his eyes as he watched his two best friends jump. One boy with orange hair, a blue with light turquoise dots bandana wrapped around his forehead, accidentally slammed his head badly on the roof of the wooden table. The other boy, a white and black panda hat with two beady little eyes on his head, began to yank his friend away from underneath the table.

Away from Micheal.

Speaking of him. Micheal bent back up from his crouched position, a friendly yet... empty smile on his face. "Where are you going?" His tone was casual, yet this was anything but a causal situation.

A friend, seeking to kill his other two best friends?

Yeah, not a good situation.

"Micheal! This isn't you," Ritchie spoke as he ignored the question, his voice on the edge of a pathetic plea as he clutched his head with one hand. Ritchie's head was throbbing in pain, and he was unable to hold back his winces. He felt and looked drained, his mana was very depleted.

Just like Austin's. "Yeah, buddy- what happened to you?" Micheal's other best friend asked. Who was struggling to pull Ritchie away from him, away from this... this different version of Micheal. Austin refused to believe that this was Micheal. His friend.

Well, and now ex-best friend and soon to be his murder.

Micheal, in turn, raised an eyebrow. Footsteps loud, making the two boys flinch, as he inched closer to the pair, his movements slow and calculated. Micheal's voice was smooth, as he casually replied with a, "You guys really don't like to pay attention," his tone dropped a bit, "do you."

Austin suppressed a shiver at his low tone, he knew Micheal. Both him and Ritchie did.

They both knew him well enough to know when he wasn't playing around.

Yet, they indulged him. "Uhum, depends?" Austin, a bit weakly, chuckled with a repressed shiver to the cold mist of windy air that breezed by. It was freezing in here, his fingers felt like they could fall off and Ritchie had sworn he had frostbite by now. The cold wasn't helping his headache.

Austin would have used his fire magic to heat them and the room up, but it didn't work. He used to be able to summon a small flame in his hands before being caught, but now? He couldn't use his magic, neither could Ritchie, nothing was working, and they didn't know why.

Micheal coldly chuckled along with Austin, savoring the look on both of their weak and tired faces. "Well then, I suppose it is a tad bit unfortunate for you that you'll never have the chance to pay attention again." Micheal's eyes darkened. "Not after what I'm about to do." 

Both Ritchie's and Austin's eyes widened, no matter how tired they were. They were still holding on. But just barely. They were holding on enough to where they could pay attention to what Micheal was saying. Funny how they begin to do that now of all times.

They're movements abruptly stopped though, Austin's back hitting a very tall bookcase. Meaning he couldn't pull Ritchie any further or back away. They were trapped.

Uh Oh...

"Uh-Oh!" Micheal voiced exactly that as he watched Austin turn a sickly pale as this realization. His knees dangerously wobbled and practically begged for him to fall down, to relax, to eat, not to mention gain and restore his energy back.

But his first instinct was to keep Ritchie behind him, protect him, who was struggling to keep his eyes open. Pain sharply attacking his head repeatedly, like bullets. Yet, the blue bandana-wearing boy pushed all that aside, like it was nothing, so he could try to instead get in front of Austin. To protect him.

They were still protecting each other, no matter how upsetting their problems were and despite their situation. They were protecting each other.

Micheal saw it, and inside, he yearned to help them. To apologize for what's he's doing, to scream until his voice turned hoarse and to shout out that it's not him and they should run. Now.

But, it didn't work. Much to his fear again, just like his other past futile attempts.

Micheal's hands were beginning to emit a frosty mist, hands stiff and practically iced over. He was an ice mage after all, he was bound to be below freezing point.

He was as cold as ice.

"Protecting each other?" Micheal deeply chuckled, rubbing his hands together to 'warm them up' as the action goes. Just to patronizing his friends further, knowing they couldn't heat up and return to normal temperature with him around.

Austin narrowed his eyes, trying to seem menacing to get Micheal to back off. But it was a sad attempt really. Let's be honest. But hey, its the thought that counts, even if the thought of Micheal being bad hurt him deep inside. 

Ritchie was starting to lean against the bookcase for support, he felt like he could collapse any second─

Ritchie winced as clenched his head tighter, fingernails tightly gripping his hair that it might fall out, and suddenly. He went completely limp. His grip on the bookcase slipped, and Austin wasn't quick enough to help support him. It was ironic how then and there Austin's legs gave out too, now limply falling to the floor beside Ritchie.

Two quiet and distressing groans came out of their mouths, neither felt like moving. They felt frozen yet stiff. Austin had resorted to shivering, very violently, and Ritchie's teeth were chattering together. Only making his headache worse, but he was starting to think this headache was more than just a headache.

The fire mage felt like he had a cold, pun not intended, he felt hot to the touch. Sweat that once was beading down his face moments ago now frozen and hair sticking to his forehead. On the outside he was freezing, he didn't want to know what temperature it was now. His blood felt like it was purely made of ice too. Not good. 

Neither boys noticed Micheal grow closer, and closer, and closer... Until he was looming over them, his dark shadow casting over both of them. Micheal's eyes, changed. They were now the same as they were when he was running solely on his mana. Like they had been iced over. So instead of his normal onyx colored eyes, they were looking more light blue and glazed over.

Micheal's small but evil laugh caught Ritchie and Austin's attention again. They looked anxious, and terrified. Micheal's heart hurt, ached, clenched at the sight. Yet on the outside he did nothing but raise one hand. Slowly.

Ritchie and Austin's eyes landed and locked onto Micheal's open palm, knowing the chills they got next were not from the cold. But from fear.

They felt like they couldn't look away, or perhaps they choose not to. It was unclear.

What was clear, and only clear, was when Micheal's hand stopped. And soon, an ice-like ball formed. Making Austin and Ritchie's eyes somehow widen further. The ice ball caused an icy chilly wind to whirl around the painfully tense air, making Austin hold back a yelp. The cold was beginning to feel tortuously numb. Ritchie felt like he could fall into a deep sleep, suddenly feeling even more exhausted. And yet his eyes were wide, like a deer in the headlights.

Suddenly, Micheal's hand lifted up a tad bit further, like he was preparing for something. His smile, widened, flashing his white teeth with this smug and malicious look on his face. 

The words came unwillingly out of the ice mages out. "Goodbye, friends."

The hand with the deadly ice ball came sky-rocking down at the two shivering boys.

and then...

Micheal awoke.

He was heavily panting, in ice-cold sweat, as he sat rigid and stiffly upright in his unusually messy bed. Micheal felt a familiar adrenaline-like feeling pumping through his icy veins.

Icy...

Just at that thought, Micheal's gaze snapped around his room as he tried ─ unsuccessfully ─ to calm down. He couldn't really feel it, as he had the powers of the cold winter so he was more immune to the cold, but his room. It was below freezing point in here.

Micheal felt like this still wasn't real. Even if he suddenly realized he had control over his own body, he felt... not good. His breathing hitched when he soon heard footsteps increasingly become louder and louder. Footsteps that were heading towards his room─

The boy edged away frantically from his bed, causing him to fall off with a yelp but he paid no mind to it as he frantically crawled into the corner of his room. Backwards. His nails painfully dug into the wooden flooring, making this little scratching noise.

What caused Micheal to fall off the bed were these two figures, standing in his doorway.

One was Austin, and the other was Ritchie. 

Micheal never noticed how the both of them looked panicked yet slightly relieved at the sight of him. Like they themselves had a bad dream too including him.

Ritchie and Austin wasted no time trying to get closer to Micheal. Speaking of, who was pressing his back harshly against his wall next to his beside table. Looking ready to break out into tears as he realized who these two figures were, he shrunk back.

"S-Stay back!" Micheal's shaky voice told, the nightmare still fresh in his mind. He didn't want to hurt them!

Austin and Ritchie didn't stop in their tracks, but they did slow down. Drastically. Taking another approach.

"Hey, Micheal, buddy," Ritchie's oddly soft tone cut in, this understanding and sympathetic look on his face. "Micheal, relax. You're safe. We're safe." Austin quietly but firmly told next, his own features oddly soft too. Both boys felt their hearts break as they saw Micheal try to control his breathing, they hated to see any one of them hurt.

Micheal, after a few more soft reassurances, was able to get a hold of his breathing. Repeating in his head some mediation practices he did in the past, and a few old breathing techniques. 

Austin's voice, it was firm. It grounded him and reminded him of both the silly side of Austin, and the more serious one. Even though Austin's tone could be, interesting, and wacky sometimes. It was his experssions that spoke all. For Ritchie. His voice was on the softer side, even if Austin's was more smooth Ritchie always had this comforting like tone.

Micheal hadn't realized it, but Ritchie was now by his side and holding his hand. Now begin to gently caress his hand. Austin had his hand, in an attempt to comfort him, on the ice mage's shoulder. It was, nice. Very nice. Micheal breathed out a very unsteady exhaled, trying to remind himself that they were all safe. It was just a nightmare. Even if it felt so, real.

Ritchie's face impossible softened, making Micheal's still rapidly beating heart melt as he caught a sight of that in the corner of his eye. It even made his adrenaline begin to slow down too. "Hey there, how ya' feeling?" Micheal took a second to respond, to which Ritchie had the utmost of patience in response to that. Which was greatly appreciated. "Y-Yeah. Yeah." Micheal raspily cleared his throat, allowing his body to relax a bit. Austin could probably feel that under Micheal's touch. "I'm o-okay."

"So are we," Austin confirmed with a head nod, which Micheal really needed to hear. Austin's touched was warmer than normal, must be using his magic, causing Micheal's tense frame to completely relax like melted ice. That always happens when Austin did that.

How Austin knew what to say sometimes was a mystery, Austin was a mystery himself honestly. Ritchie and Micheal wouldn't have it any other way though. 

Micheal breathlessly chuckled, it was a tad bit weak. But he didn't care right now. All that mattered was that his boyfriends were safe. Everything was fine. Micheal's father is dead. He can't get him. 

"By the way Esla, could you like- turn the temperature down I'm freezing over here!" Micheal once again breathlessly chuckled, a bit louder than before, with Ritchie. Austin always did seem to comment on some things at the wrong time too. But Micheal was grateful for it this time. Needing something light-hearted after that nightmare.

"Yeah. Sure-sure. Give me a second." Micheal slowly closed his eyes, taking in a deep inhale. And exhale. He soon opened his eyes back up, and it didn't look like a winter wonderland in his room anymore.

He was a little confused by Austin and Ritchie's look of relief from the past freezing cold. As if it was reminding them of something unpleasant.

Micheal shook his off, noting it mentally, and just, sighed. Still feeling his hair stick to his moist forehead. But what made up for it was a small but loving kiss from Ritchie. Micheal held back a surprised yip as he felt a little electric zap tingle through his body from the kiss, making him involuntarily shiver. Electricity powers.

No one spoke about Micheal's past outburst, which was once again appreciated. It would most likely be questioned in... the morning? What time was it? Too early was Micheal's guess as Austin drawled out: "Soooo, sleepover?" His eyes gleamed at the two of them with this child-like look. 

Micheal wordlessly nodded with a tiny smile, Ritchie verballed replied with:  "Yes, let's- sleep. It's way too early to be awake." Somehow, they all knew they needed comfort. It was a silent thing between them. Wordlessly, Ritchie helped Micheal stand. He was a bit wobbly, but overall looking better than before.

Soon, they all decided to cuddle together in Austin's room. On his bed, as they were sure it was the biggest. It was also the warmest and one of the most comforting places to be. 

Austin was on Micheal's left, firmly hugging his arm with a sudden death grip. But he had Fred too in his other arm as well, snuggling them both. Guess Micheal's stuck. But not only was he stuck by Austin, but by Ritchie too. As the boy had a gently yet somehow iron grip on Micheal's right arm. So Micheal was cuddled and smushed in the middle this time. They all usually took turns, but it seemed Micheal was the one in the middle this time.

And for once, he didn't mind it.

They all peacefully fell asleep, nightmare free, knowing they were all safe together and nothing was going to tear them apart. As long as they stuck together.

...They all never knew that they had the same nightmare.

A/N: Hello, hi, notice the new format ;))) well... this took longer than expected, but I'm happy with how it came out. Yes it has been a while since I've updated this book, as life is being a butt but I'm baaaack wassup! What'd I miss? Anyways, I have some new stuff coming out too so I've been working on that as well. Just letting you know that I have not stopped writing things for this, I'm still making the good stuff, I hope you all have a fantastic [insert whatever timezone time you're in.] I hope to see you all in the next one!